THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Number of households going smart with the aid of technology to prevent burglary and thefts are on the rise in the capital city. Service providers of digital devices for home security say their customer base is steadily increasing, thanks to increased awareness and sliding price of devices.
Technology and equipment have become so cheap and a CCTV or door censor is viewed as a necessity, not luxury today. Price of a CCTV surveillance system for a residence starts from Rs 10,000, according to retail vendors.
Rising incidents of thefts and burglaries are the reasons prompting people to install surveillance devices, says Gireesh P A, director (security and automation) of Technopark-based M Squared Software and Services.“CCTVs are now a common feature of new houses. Those who cannot afford installation charges at the time of construction make provisions for the future. Safety concerns and cheaper price of the devices are two major reasons for the popularity of home security devices,” says Gireesh.
“Remote video surveillance on mobile phones is another feature people ask for. Takers for this facility are office-goers who want to ensure the safety of children or the aged left at home,” he added.
According to Dipu Oomman, operation manager of Foxtech India, monthly sales of CCTV in the state ranges between Rs 3 to Rs 5 crore. “It is now a common feature of new residences above 1,500 sq feet, be an independent house or apartment,” he said.
“The market is booming - both commercial and residential. Latest trend is high resolution cameras. New customers want high quality cameras. Higher demand in the home security sector is for 4-5 megapixel cameras,” Dipu said.
If earlier, customers for surveillance devices in Thiruvananthapuram were commercial establishments the situation has changed now, says Abhilash Surendran, owner of Z Plus Surveillance and Security Systems based at Venjaramoodu.
“These devices are gaining popularity in rural areas as well. People’s perception on home security has changed tremendously over the years. If earlier it was just CCTV, today’s customer prefers more equipment like motion and door, window censors,” says Abhilash, who is in the security service sector for the past eight years, he said.
Motion sensor helps a family to know the presence of objects or persons in a designated area while the door or window sensor will detect and alert attempts to break in.
Shibu Harris, manager of Sherown Systems, draws attention to the trend of installing cameras inside houses. “This is opted for different reasons - to monitor children or the aged, servants or home nurses. Kitchens, living room and children’s rooms are the usual choices,” he said.